Notebooks Guide

ASUS ROG G53SW - 3D Video Playback And 3D Gaming

ROG Goes 3D

Just like we promised yesterday, here is our update on the ASUS G53SW and this time, we are going to focus on its gaming and 3D capability.

First off, the G53SW makes use of a standard pair of NVIDIA 3D Vision eyeglasses. These glasses communicate with the 3D Vision IR emitter that is integrated to the notebook. The implementation is pretty similar to that of the Sony VAIO F which utilizes proprietary eyeglasses. Hence, Sony’s glasses will not work if you try them on the G53SW.

We recently got a copy of Disney’s Tangled in 3D so it was the first content that we played on the G53SW. Similar to the case of the VAIO F, playing a 3D video on the G53SW required us to use NVIDIA’s 3D Vision Video Player. Comparing the 3D experience between the two powerhouse notebooks, we say that it was more immersive on the VAIO F than on the G53SW. Points to take into account here are the VAIO’s larger 16-inch display and, worth mentioning, the eyeglasses. NVIDIA’s 3D Vision glasses produce more flickers and are more shadowy than Sony’s, which made colors on the G53SW appear less punchy. Nevertheless, 3D video playback on the ASUS was more fluid right off the bat, thanks to its more powerful discrete GeForce GTX 460M graphics. 3D video playback on the Sony stuttered at some point, probably due to its use of GeForce GT 540M GPU which is less powerful than ASUS’ choice of graphics.

To further put the G53SW’s discrete graphics to the test, we proceeded on running some games on the notebook, namely Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5, and Call of Duty: Black Ops. Starting off with Street Fighter IV, we immediately sensed the limitations of GTX 460M, as it forced us to crank down the game's graphics settings. Street Fighter IV is playable on the G53SW when anti-aliasing is disabled and other settings like shadows and textures are pulled down to mid levels. The same goes for first-person shooters Resident Evil 5 and Call of Duty: Black Ops. Logically, the 3D experience was more appreciable on the latter two, than on Street Fighter IV, which is a fighting game.

Here are some of the videos that we took in our attempt to show you how videos and games would look like on the G53SW with and without wearing NVIDIA’s 3D Vision glasses.

Final Thoughts

Putting looks aside, the ASUS G53SW shares a lot of similarities with the G73JH in terms of features, except for Turbo mode. In the case of the G53SW, Turbo mode is actually unnecessary because of its more powerful processor and our test results can attest to that.

3D video playback on the G53SW is convincing but not as compelling as that on the media-centric, and more expensive, Sony VAIO F. In any case, what makes the 3D experience sweeter on the G53SW is its more potent graphics.

Gaming, which is the main reason of the ROG label’s existence, is certainly satisfactory on the G53SW. However, you should keep your game settings at moderated levels. True, the G53SW is powerful, but not as powerful as a dedicated gaming rig that you could already build at above PhP 100K pricing.

By and large, the G53SW is a mean-looking machine. Its design’s intent is to attract gamers, rich ones, who would want to earn some extra bragging rights in LAN parties and gaming sessions. Given its robust constitution and full-bodied hardware specs, you should not expect it to be more energy-efficient and more mobile. Anyway, interested parties are spared as ASUS bundles it with a nice carrying bag.